37-Down to the Void Pt.6

The light illuminated the whole cavern. It was bright enough for Servus 132-X to find the pale blue pickaxe thrown near the opening of the cave of which he entered. He picked up the sunken tool and secured it back to his hip. After that, he followed the path of the lit canopy.

The aetherium-filled canopy twinkled like stars as he entered inside the opening he found. The ore deposits swirled and embedded itself to the hanging stalactites. Servus 132-X could only wish that the stalactites were placed a bit lower, he would've mined them already. But alas, just as beautiful as they twinkled like stars, so was their height. It was way too far for one to reach let alone climb.

The good thing about this new entrance he discovered was the fact that he didn't need to crawl again to enter another opening. He was relieved about that.

The water reflected the shining star-like glow of the canopy, that mesmerized him even more as the water rippled. It reminded him of his homeland, way back when he was still Adlaw-on. He remembered how the moon and stars lit the heavens and painted the sea with freckles of light, contrasting its dark canvass.

It was a different time back then. It was a time he wished he could get back but just can't. Not anymore, no matter how he wished it. He was already told from the moment he transmigrated to the first world, that his real body would already rot and that going back to his real world would mean the demise of his soul.

Remembering his homeland gave him a heavy feeling in his chest. He shook that off and focused on the now, his mission—finding aetherium deposits.

As he moved forward towards the end of the vast tunnel, something caught his attention. There was a hint of foul air dawning on him. The stench started mild but as he came closer the smell of rotten flesh and entrails became more unbearable.

It was at this point where his intuition would tell him to go back and discontinue with his journey. His self-preservation instinct screamed inside him urging him to consider his survival. But his thirst for their freedom was unquenchable, that even his fear was now at bay.

The glowing blue light of a potentially great aetherium deposit allured him despite the dread looming over him. He unsheathed his sword on his right hand and activated a light run at the other. He hovered the light over the twinkling water and moved forward after declaring it safe.

The smell became unbearable as the stench of rot harassed his nose. There was also a thin fog of yellow vapor coating the air near the entrance of the cave. It was irritating to his eyes, that it made it water. In his mind, he knew that this vapor could be flammable.

He recalled having to deal with some during his 4th incarnation before he got eaten by a monster. He remembered utilizing the vapor as a catalyst to spark up a fire which he thought could kill that monster. To his dismay, it didn't.

Remembering that experience, Servus 132-X knew that something or someone was lurking there. Part of him wanted to turn tail and run away, but what was his other choice? There was none! This was the only place accessible for anyone to move and the only place where a possible aetherium ore deposit might be located.

Before he moved further, Servus 132-X took out the crystal ball and messaged the people from the surface.

"Lord Prestonheim," he uttered. "I have found another opening but this time, there is a huge possibility that aetherium deposits may be attainable here." He peeked from the cave opening and confirmed a head-sized aetherium ore lodged on the ground adjacent from the entrance.

He heard nothing from the other end of the crystal ball. He called them again, but no one answered.

"Lord Prestonheim? Anyone?" He called out, but no one seemed to answer.

All the while, grating sounds could be heard from the crystal ball. Whether it was the crack from the crystal ball or just a case of interference from the cave, Servus 132-X cannot get any answer from the Commander on the surface.

The poisonous gas might overwhelm him if he's not careful and he doesn't have the right protection for this environment. But his desperation and ambition fueled him even more. Servus 132-X will have to overcome his fear of death for their freedom, and he was willing to go that far.

He tore a piece of cloth from the lower portion of his pants. He soaked it with water at the cleaner part of the path and used it as a make-shift mask to protect himself from the vapors. It was the same thing he did before, he just hoped that no lurking monster would try and ambush him there.

The wet cloth made it hard for him to breathe. But it also protected him from the harsh vapor that lingered in the air. It made it hard for the stench to permeate mask. It also helped him with the vapors irritating his eyes as it served as a filter for the miasma.

He entered the cave armed and ready for an encounter. He carefully stepped inside the viscous waters of the cave. Everything inside there looked foul and dangerous. There was a heap of human remains and chitin at the far corner of the cave. Some of the disembodied parts looked rotting and bubbling and some no longer have a single hint of flesh from the bone.

Servus 132-X did not dare to move closer to the pile of decaying remains. Instead, he looked around searching for any lurking cretin or monster that might be hiding in the cervices. He looked up and focused the light to the canopy, but he found nothing.

He hovered the rune just above the water to check if there was anything lurking below. Luckily, aside from some scattered bones, there was no threat at all. After making sure that everything was safe, he set his eyes on the lump of aetherium located just adjacent to the mouth of the cave.

Servus 132-X sheathed back his sword and used the pickaxe he had instead. Swinging with one arm, he used the sharp part of the tool to bore holes in the soft, muddy ground. Then, using the flat side of pickaxe, he used it as a lever to pull out the lodged ore from the ground.

It only took him a couple of tries when the ore successfully dislodge itself from its place. It rolled out to the foul and viscous water. He took it out immediately from the water. As his hand touched the surface of the water, he felt an itching burning sensation on his skin.

The water there, was like acid albeit of a weaker concentration. He hurriedly put the head-sized ore of aetherium back to the ruck sack on his hip. He iscratched his right hand while he tried to walk out of the damned cave, when suddenly he heard something coming from the canopy.

It sounded like sharp poles scratching the surface of a rock. It did it a few times, as if travel from one end of the cave to the other. Servus 132-X stood silently, trying to feel where it was coming from.

He looked around and waved his light over but there was nothing. Fearing the worse, Servus 132-X not did hope to find anything if he ever tried to look up. He was about to do it, when suddenly, pebbles and bits of soil started dropping from his shoulders.

He looked at it in horror, but he tried to calm himself. Just as the rock particles stopped dropping from his shoulders, Servus 132-X swiftly jumped out of his way. To his surprise, a centipede spawn dropped to that exact spot where he was and now covering his exit.

He immediately raised his buckler as the water splashed all over the place. He slowly lowered his buckler to take a glimpse at the horrid monster in front of him. Shifting pickaxe for the gladius, Servus 132-X assumed his battle stance. Buckler forward while the blade raised at shoulder-level, pointing at the monster.

He squinted his eyes to gauge the monster. It was around six footlings long, smaller than centipedes they encountered before. But regardless of the size, he knew that this one is as deadly as the last. He slowly encircled the insect, as he tried to find his exit while trying to defend himself for an inevitable fight.

The centipede slowly raised its segmented body from the water and weaved its head, ready to attack. Before Servus 132-X could take a deep breath, the centipede lunged itself forward. He caught the attack with the buckler. The pincers squeezed the buckler hard, denting it.

Servus 132-X struggled as he tried unbuckling his dented shield while the monster continued pushing him against the cold wall. At that moment, he felt the desire to slay the damned beast. There was no hint of doubt or fear in his mind. All the sudden, his memories of his previous lives flashed in his mind. Giving him a much-needed flow of strategy against the beast.

He was finally able to release his shield just in time for the centipede to clumsily crash into the wall. For some reason, there was something off about the entire thing. The centipede seemed to be weakened and unable to lift itself from the wall.

Servus 132-X took this an opportunity to attack. He stabbed the centipede's belly a couple of times until it separated from the rest of its body. Relieved with its demise, he quickly picked up the shield just in time for his light to start flickering.

As he was about to head for the exit, something passed from the corner of his eye. He saw something move from the heap of carcasses. It looked like smiling heads rolling about staring at him from their empty sockets.

He thought the miasma was now messing with his mind but just to be sure, he hovered his light over the pile. He saw for a moment the heads hiding as the light struck them. Suddenly, his body froze as his fear started to take over him. As he tried to move his body to the exit, a shadowy figure appeared, blocking his exit once again.

It looked at him and smiled as it gazed at him with his eyeless socket. The smile became more grotesque as it slowly walked towards him. Servus 132-X couldn't move an inch. All he could do is watch, as the humanoid lifeform slowly revealed his sharp teeth underneath his grin.